The Myths of Innovation Book Summary - The Myths of Innovation Book explained in key points
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The Myths of Innovation summary

Scott Berkun

The bestseller on the history of ideas

4.3 (87 ratings)
14 mins

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The Myths of Innovation by Scott Berkun debunks the popular myths about innovation, offering an insight into the truth behind the process of creating and implementing new ideas. It shows real-world examples of how innovation really works and how to approach it strategically.

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    The Myths of Innovation
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    Great ideas aren’t born from divine inspiration but from a build-up of smaller thoughts.

    Whether visiting an artist’s studio, an inventor’s workshop or a researcher’s lab, people often ask innovators the same question: “Where do your ideas come from?”

    A well-known origin story of a great idea is that of Isaac Newton and how he devised a theory of gravity after an apple fell on his head. The implication of this story is that great ideas strike those lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.

    Unfortunately, this tale is a myth. Epiphanies don’t exist. Great ideas don’t miraculously come to people in a moment of inspiration; they evolve over a lifetime of hard work and personal sacrifice.

    The word epiphany contains deeply religious connotations. Originally, it meant that all moments of inspiration came from God. Today, the word is less associated with religion, but the core implication nonetheless remains: when people exclaim that they’ve just had an epiphany, they’re subtly suggesting that they’re not quite sure where the idea came from, and thus couldn’t possibly take full credit for it.

    The belief that great ideas exist in a realm beyond our control and come to us in mysterious ways could be a psychological tactic to alleviate guilt and frustration when we’re staring down at a blank sheet of paper, unable to commit any creative idea to it. But such a belief is a distortion of what the creative process actually entails.

    Instead of a divine moment of inspiration, most creatives accumulate many small insights over time. Indeed, if you look closely at any great idea, you will see that it’s composed of an infinite number of previous, smaller ideas. For example, it was only after almost four decades of multiple innovations in the realms of networking, electronics and software that Tim Berners-Lee was able to build upon the concept of the internet to create the World Wide Web.

    Unlike Newton’s apple, great ideas don’t just fall from trees. To come up with an innovative thought, we need to give it time, which we’ll look at how to do right now.

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    What is The Myths of Innovation about?

    The Myths of Innovation (2007) addresses common misconceptions about what it takes to become a successful innovator. Borrowing real-life examples from both recent business history and the arts, Berkun reveals where good ideas really come from.

    Best quote from The Myths of Innovation

    Picasso needed eight notebooks to explore all his ideas for the Guernica painting.

    —Scott Berkun
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    Who should read The Myths of Innovation?

    • Managers who want to support innovation in the workplace
    • Those looking to increase the success of their innovative ideas
    • Creative people struggling with inspiration

    About the Author

    Scott Berkun is an American author and speaker. He previously worked on the development of Internet Explorer, at Microsoft. His work has appeared in the New York Times and the Washington Post, and he has taught creative thinking at the University of Washington.

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